Established in 1872 as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Mumbai’s oldest museum is located in a historic Renaissance Revival-style building that has been beautifully restored. The museum was renamed in 1975 in honour of educator, philanthropist, and erstwhile Sheriff of Mumbai, Dr Bhau Daji Lad. It exhibits the historical and cultural heritage of the city through a rare collection of arts, maps, books, and models, but is perhaps more popularly known to be the current home of the stone elephant that gave the Elephanta Island its name.
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Rd, Byculla East • 022 2373 1234 • www.bdlmuseum.org • Open 10am–6pm Thu–Tue (ticket counter closes at 5:30pm) • Adm ₹100, children 6–12 yrs ₹50, below 5s free (Indians ₹10, children 6–12 yrs ₹5)
This wood and metal model was given to the museum by the Bombay Post Trust Authority in 1914. The huge dredgers, mainly used to gather sediments from the seabed, were employed for reclamation projects.
This watercolour painting is a 1916 creation by renowned artist Mahadev Vishwanath Dhurandhar (1867–1944). The portrait of a woman belonging to Mumbai’s Prabhu community dressed in traditional attire showcases the artist’s skills.
A skillfully executed 1918 watercolour by one of the early curators of this museum depicts a pond with lilies. It may have been a demonstration for art students.
Greek for “seven”, Heptanesia is a three-dimensional relief map that dates back to AD 1294–1662. It documents the original islands, of Mumbai.
This glazed ceramic vase is an example of the blend of western design with traditional Indian motifs, in this case the peacock. This late 19th-century pottery was made in an experimental kiln.
A dancing figure of Radha and Krishna, carved out of ivory, dates from the late 19th to 20th century. Made in Trivandrum, now Thiruvananthapuram, this beautiful carving is an attempt at a realistic portrayal of nature that the British encouraged.
Symbolic of the unity of male and female powers in God, this skillfully crafted bronze idol from the late 19th century, was made in Southern India. Bronze, an alloy of copper, tin and zinc, was preferred by Indian sculptors due to its durability.
Made of brass, this lampstand from Nepal shows a dragon with wings, a ferocious face, decorated tail and a candle stand in its right foreleg. Such decorative articles were exported to Europe in the late 19th century.
Plaster of Paris models show the distinct traditional headgear worn by numerous communities in Mumbai in the late 19th century.
The famous Rajput queen’s portrait from the early 20th century is an exquisite example of a miniature painting in ivory, a popular Indian art form.
The museum has an extensive outreach programme aimed at learning for all age groups through workshops, theatre and film shows, public lectures and weekend tours with the curatorial team. Its rare collections are also accessible across the world through Google Arts & Culture.
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